The present invention relates generally to electronic recording and communication of information.
A large number of handheld appliances for inputting of information into computers, PDAs, mobile phones and the like have been developed. Examples of such appliances are reading pens for inputting of text and electronic writing/pointing devices for electronic recording of handwritten information by position determination. There are a great variety of techniques for accomplishing position determination in electronic writing devices, such as via accelerometers, gyros or mechanical movement detectors integrated into the writing device, via triangulation of signals from transceivers which are arranged in the surroundings of the writing device and intended for laser light, sound waves, radio waves or IR radiation, via interaction with pressure-sensitive writing tablets/displays, via interaction with an electromagnetic field generated by a writing base, etc.
Patent Publication WO 01/16691, which is assigned to the Applicant and which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a technique for increasing the functionality of electronic writing devices in addition to pure inputting of information into a computer or the like. To this end, a position code is used, which codes a plurality of positions in a writing field of a product, along with a writing device which is designed to detect the position code, in order to electronically record information which is noted down in the writing field. The product also has at least one activation icon which, when detected by the writing device, causes the writing device to initiate a predetermined operation while using the recorded information. More specifically, the position-coded product has a built-in functionality, in that different positions on the product, such as positions in the activation icon and positions in the writing field, are dedicated to different functions. The position code is also capable of coding absolute coordinates for a large number of positions, much larger than the number of necessary positions on the product. Thus, the position code can be considered to make up a virtual surface which is defined by all positions which the position code is capable of coding, different positions on the virtual surface being dedicated to different functions and/or operators.
The combination of writing device and position-coded product can, like in the prior-art techniques stated above, be used as an inputting device for a computer, a PDA, a mobile phone etc. For instance, handwritten text and sketches noted down on a notebook page can be transferred via the writing device to a computer. The combination of writing device and position-coded product, can, however, also be used for e-commerce, if the writing device communicates with a communication network, such as the Internet, a telephone network, etc. For instance, the writing device can be used to order a product or service from a position-coded advertisement in a magazine, by the positions in the advertisement being dedicated to such a functionality. Correspondingly, global communication is made possible, direct from an appropriately position-coded product via the writing device. The information recorded by the writing device can, for instance, be converted into a fax message, an e-mail message or an SMS, and then be sent from the writing device to a recipient via the communication network.
In the above cases, the user has a product, for instance a notebook or a scratch pad, which is provided with preprinted graphics and a position code, typically a position-coded writing field for inputting of graphical information, a position-coded address field for inputting of address information, a position-coded subject field for inputting of a heading, and position-coded multiple choice fields for choosing the communication method (fax, e-mail, SMS).
As this type of product is being established on the market, new services will be developed, and existing services will be refined, for instance by different options being added for the management of the recorded information. This means that also new products must be printed, which are adapted to the developed or refined services. This in turn places great demands on manufacture and distribution of products, in order to ensure that the latest version of the product is available on the market. Moreover, the rejection of old versions of a product can be considerable, with the ensuing costs. It may also be difficult for the user, and associated with costs, always to have access to the latest version of a certain product.
An object of the present invention thus is to provide a method which overcomes the above problems.
These and other objects that will be evident from the following description are now achieved wholly or partly by a method according to claim 1, a system according to claim 17, a computer unit according to claim 27, and a computer program according claim 31. Preferred embodiments are defined in the appended claims.
Thus, the invention enables inputting of a command which qualifies the management of the electronically recorded information in the communication network. The command can be seen as a refining command. The user may use existing products which are dedicated to a certain service, but still have access to further developments of this service. Thus the user will have quick access to further developed services, in practice as soon as they are introduced in the communication network. The service provider has the advantage of being capable of further developing his services and still retain the products distributed on the market. It will also be possible to test the market""s receptivity to a further development without costs for manufacturing and distributing new products, for instance position-coded sheets of paper with a new graphic layout. The invention also allows the user to use generic products and control the choice of service by entering a desired command.